


running (when you could have been right here)

by inyourorbit



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: F/F, Jungeun’s kind of an idiot but we love and support her in this household, Pining, Sooyoung and Jinsol are more or less just mentioned, chuulip - Freeform, roommates au, very light angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22391278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inyourorbit/pseuds/inyourorbit
Summary: She’s been spending the past months stewing over the possibility that she did something wrong. Thinking that maybe Jungeun left because of her.
Relationships: Kim Jiwoo | Chuu/Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip
Comments: 1
Kudos: 73





	running (when you could have been right here)

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a short little something. I had fun writing it!
> 
> Hope you enjoy the read. x

It’s the earliest hours of the morning - or more like the middle of the night - when Jiwoo hears a key turn in the lock of her apartment.

The one she’s been living in alone for the past six months since her roommate, and the person she’d considered her best friend since middle school, up and left somewhat out of the blue. 

The clock on her phone showing 02:17 AM when she spares a glance at it. Hearing a quiet shuffling sound, she decides to get up and see what it is. _Who_ it is, while trying not to let her wild hope at the possibility run away from her. 

“Jungeun?”

It’s dark in the living room but Jiwoo can tell it’s her, silhouette lighted just enough by the moonlight filtering in through the windows and past the blinds to create a glow in the small space.

The figure stills, runs a hand through her hair - Jungeun’s telltale sign of nervousness - and Jiwoo absolutely knows for sure it’s her and flips the lights witch closest to her. 

Jungeun’s hair is darker, a little shorter than it was when she left and there’s a backpack secure on her shoulders and a duffle bag in her hand. She looks a little thinner and weary.

“Hey, Jiwoo...” She trails off, coughing, like she’s been caught doing something she shouldn’t be but there’s a softness in her eyes at seeing Jiwoo for the first time in months for just seconds before they steel again.

It takes everything Jiwoo has not to throw herself at Jungeun and envelop in a bone-crushing hug. She’s missed her. But there’s a bristly demeanor to Jungeun right now and Jiwoo’s worried she might scare her away.

“What are you doing here? We weren’t sure you were coming back. Are... are you back?”

Though, Jiwoo knows Jinsol’s talked to Jungeun here and there. Jinsol kept most of their conversations private however. Letting Jiwoo know that Jungeun’s okay and will be back when she’s ready. 

Jungeun shrugs, “I live here.”

She still sent her half of the rent every month without a return address. It was the only contact they had. As minuscule as it was, she knew Jungeun was still out there. 

Jungeun grimaces at her own tone and Jiwoo laughs despite herself, knowing that Jungeun didn’t mean it in a harsh way. Sometimes sarcasm would shine through as a defense mechanism. Of course this was her home. 

“Yeah, I’m back.”

Jiwoo doesn’t stop the smile that breaks through her frown at the awkward tension in the room, “I’ve really missed you.”

Jungeun shifts her weight from one foot to the other, uneasiness clawing it’s way from the inside out, “I’m going to head to bed.”

“Oh,” disappointment clear in Jiwoo’s tone, “Are we going to talk at all?”

Because truly, Jiwoo has no idea what happened. She’s been spending the past months stewing over the possibility that she did something wrong. That Jungeun left because of her and it’s been eating her alive more or less. That anxiety of not having one of the people she loves the most in the world, the one that’s always been right beside her, suddenly just being gone. It hurt, but she wasn’t angry. She only wanted Jungeun happy and safe. 

Jungeun let’s out a tired sigh, one full of both exhaustion and reluctance and Jiwoo tries not to feel the pang of _something_ shoot straight up to her chest, chipping away at her heart.

“We’ll talk in the morning.”

Jiwoo nods slowly, “Your room’s the way you left it. I washed your sheets for you! They’re in the cabinet.”

“Thanks, Jiwoo.”

“Hey, Jungie?”

She doesn’t say anything, looks at Jiwoo expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

“I’m glad you’re back.”

.

Jiwoo doesn’t sleep once Jungeun is back, letting her thoughts run amok. What changed between them? She wonders if Jungeun found out about her feelings for her, if she thought they needed some distance. 

She’s curious if Jungeun slept at all, or if she spent the night trying to force her eyes shut while she tossed and turned beneath her blankets the way Jiwoo did.

Jungeun, like clockwork, is up at the same time she always used to be when they were still under the same roof. No matter how late she got in last night, she was still an early riser and Jiwoo found comfort in the fact that hadn’t changed. 

When Jiwoo convinces herself to get up and face the day, she finds Jungeun rummaging through the refrigerator. She feels too timid to say anything, after the way Jungeun seemed so stand-off-ish but the other woman hears her padding into the kitchen first and turns from the fridge.

“Morning,” she mutters quietly, a tight smile on her lips, “Are you hungry? I was going to make breakfast.”

Jiwoo nods gratefully, “I could eat.”

Jungeun gives Jiwoo a once over, examining her _really_ for the first time in a long time. Her eyes couldn’t quite fully look her way last night. Feelings Jungeun thought she let go and pain she’d swept under a metaphorical rug all willing itself back into sight.

“You’ve been eating right? There’s not much in here,” Jungeun closes the fridge in defeat, gesturing to the kitchen as a whole.

“I’ve been eating, promise! I just haven’t had a chance to go the store yet.”

“We can go later. If you want.”

 _We._ Okay, so Jungeun doesn’t hate her. She still cares. Jiwoo decides to hang on to that small word, let it fill her up with some hope that they’re going to be okay. Or that they will be at least. 

They stand there in silence, Jungeun clearly thinking of something to say and Jiwoo waiting patiently.

“How’s Sooyoung?”

It wasn’t a smooth transition at all and Jungeun really tries to mask the bitterness in her tone but fails a bit miserably at doing so all but spitting the words out. She’s ignoring the confusion on Jiwoo’s face at why she would be asking that question in the first place and why she sounds like she’s not actually interested in hearing the answer. 

But Jiwoo doesn’t question it, answering her anyway, “She’s good! I haven’t really seen her as much since her and Jinsol started dating. They’ve been, um, a bit preoccupied.”

She let’s a small giggle slip past her lips - laughing at her friend’s antics, they really couldn’t keep their hands to themselves - and Jungeun can’t help but smile, missing the sound of Jiwoo’s laughter so much that she barely hears the words that’d just come out of Jiwoo’s mouth. 

“Wait, what? Sooyoung.. and Jinsol?”

Jinsol hadn’t mentioned that to her. Jungeun was _confused_ and maybe feeling a bit stupid and just needing some sort of clarification. She talked to Jinsol a couple times a month, keeping her updated on where she was. Jungeun had told Jinsol the reason she left was because it hurt too much to see her everyday and live with her when she knew nothing would happen between them. Hadn’t spared her more specific details regarding why she felt that way. Any chance she might have had trickling away when she overheard a conversation between and Sooyoung and Jiwoo one evening, after the two had been spending an increasing amount of time together. 

“I thought you and Sooyoung were together?”

Jiwoo’s eyes widen at that, shaking her head fervently, “What?”

Jiwoo had never even entertained the idea. Sooyoung was undeniably beautiful and, sure, there was a certain allure to her but they were just very good friends. Nothing else.

Jungeun’s scratching the back of her head, recalling forth the memory from months back, “I heard _her_. I heard her tell you she wanted to be with you.”

She hadn’t waited around to hear the rest, shutting herself away in her room that night with headphones on music loud enough to block out the sound of an explosion.

The realization of what Jungeun’s referring to finally dawns on Jiwoo.

This was all just a giant misunderstanding and Jiwoo was torn between wanting to wrap Jungeun up in her arms and wanting to slap her across the face. 

“You’re such an idiot, Jungeun.”

The slightly older girl had been moody for a couple days after that. Jiwoo hadn’t pushed it. Jungeun could be hard to get through to sometimes, she’s learned over the years so she was going to let her come to her. 

Except then she was just gone.

She just didn’t think that Jungeun would take this long and need a trip around the country and a new hair color change to do so. 

And Jungeun would always call _her_ the dramatic one. She wouldn’t be able to do that anymore. 

“Sooyoung didn’t know how to tell Jinsol how she felt so she was practicing with me!”

“Well she sounded pretty confident to me,” Jungeun grumbles, lowering her head, “I thought she’d beat me to it.”

Jiwoo’s heart pounds a little harder at Jungen’s words and takes a couple steps closer to her, gently lifting her chin with her index finger, thumb running softly across her cheek.

Jungeun’s breath hitches, getting caught in her throat when she feels more than sees how close her face is to Jiwoo’s own. 

“I’ve only just been waiting for you, Jungie. Never anyone else.”

_Just you._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to those that read this. Positive comments and kudos are always welcome. They keep me writing! 
> 
> PS- Sorry for any typos/errors in editing.


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